Love and Other Crisis | Season 1

Episode | 13

"What the hell was that? What if someone saw?"

Andreas adjusted his cuffs, unbothered by the possibility of exposure. "Altered perception. All they saw were three regular people going about their business."

Three regular people? Kaliope snorted. She was the only regular one among them. The Veil worked in wondrous ways to block the Occult from the Noccult. Still, Kaliope wasn't about to test the limits like her intrepid coworkers.

Andreas departed first on the level for the law department while Kaliope and Inola carried on.

"Mine's bigger?" Kaliope raised an eyebrow with her question about Inola's declaration her wolf was bigger than Andreas. "Thought only men compared sizes."

"Lycans always act as if they're invincible, and we should all bow to them." Inola pulled a face, and Kaliope stopped her lips from twitching into a smile. "I'll climb up to their lofty heights and kick them off right on their noses." She kicked out a heeled foot to illustrate her intention.

Kaliope did smile now. She enjoyed the prospect. "The little fox who could."

Inola straightened her jacket, accepting the compliment.

An unexpected twist greeted Kaliope on her return. Gideon handed her a table with the notice she was an active part of their current case. Gale, their resident tech wizard, heaved a sigh.

I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, witch.

Gideon lowered his voice to add, "Did you read the files I sent?"

Kaliope nodded, and he inclined his head, pleased.

She reviewed the details of the case summary on her tablet. The first line answered the purpose of the file Gideon sent.

Case Brief: Old Witcher House is in crisis over succession as the bloodline branches into a Main and Minor House. Tensions between houses escalated after the theft of a fertility gem. The current Patriarch is severely ill. His son, the next heir, still needs a successor.

Kaliope pursed her lips to keep from grinning. Thanks to Gideon, she wasn't jumping into the case as a clueless dud. She owed him a drink. Two for two on the welcome wagon. Things were looking up. She refocused on the brief.

The Falgor family hired Sage Tower to investigate the theft of the fertility gem they sent out on commission to Kelmor Jewelers. Prime suspects: Katerina Kelmor and Zohar Falgor, Patriarch of the Minor House.

She skimmed Katerina and Zohar's profiles. Then the incident report of the theft. Kaliope eyed the sparkling orange gem set in a gold band decorated with intricate inscriptions, skeptical about its supposed purpose. "And this thing actually works?"

Gale scowled at her scandalized. "Think we'd be wasting our time if it didn't? The Falgors spent millions between procuring the gem and the ring commission. We're talking about the longevity of a Great House—"

Kaliope flapped her hands to calm Gale's lecture. "Hold your broom." Inola snorted at Kalipe's jibe. Gideon ducked his head and busied himself with his tablet. Gale flushed, and his many screens flickered. Kaliope frowned at them. Okay, then. "I was only asking. So Franziska Falgors hired us to track down the missing jewel?"

"Yes." Gideon moved one of Gale's floating screens into the open space as he started his presentation. He nodded at Gale, and the witch populated the screen with images of the missing orange gem in its uncut and finished forms. "Fertility gems are Class One items. They're scarce and fragile, even for the most skilled stonesmith. One misstep, the gem loses its magic. It's near irreplaceable. And retrieval is our priority with the bloodline succession on the line."

"I'm guessing Zohar's the main suspect."

"Guessing?" Ronin stood behind the group, hands in his pockets, his approach soundless. "We don't guess here, Ms. Barnes."

Kaliope ran her tongue over her teeth. In the second it took to quell any snarky comments, Ronin continued.

"The gem's exceptionally rare and valuable. Katerina might have stolen it."

Kaliope pegged Ronin's statement for what it was—a challenge. She had three days of free time to read the entirety of the handbook, along with Gideon's file and superb mental recall. If he thought he was going to show her up...

Tch.

"Who would she sell it to?"

Ronin raised a brow at Kaliope's question.

"When someone steals a gem, jewelry, or anything valuable, it's usually for use or resale. Katerina's single. Doubt she's wishing on a gem for a cute bundle of joy, so pawning the ring would be her most likely move. And according to the incident report, news spread in the Occult Gossiper about the gem belonging to Falgor House. Falgor is one of the five Great Witcher Houses." Thank you, Gideon. The name was in his file.

Kaliope continued, confidence boosted. "Great Houses wield considerable power and influence in high-witch society. That ring," she pointed at the image, "is a hot potato. Whoever buys it puts a target on themselves and their entire bloodline. To cross the Falgors means risking the loss of social standing. I doubt Katerina, a noted stonesmith and earth mage who spent years building her business and reputation, would."

Ronin considered Kaliope's assessment. "Greed and stupidity are agreeable bedfellows."

"True. But I'd wager Katerina has more to gain from delivering the ring than stealing it. The gem's rare and fragile, her delivering one in pristine condition would catapult her reputation, wouldn't it? Not to mention an endorsement from a Great House." Kaliope shook her head, confident the jeweler wasn't the culprit. "The only person with the gall to cross a Falgor is a Falgor. Or someone from one of the other Great Houses? At most, Katerina blundered and leaked her work to the press for attention. Also doubtful."

A silent moment passed before Ronin inclined his head. His only concession to the accuracy of Kaliope's assessment. She frowned. Not that she expected a pat on the head, but geez.

"There's no evidence of outside interference from another House. Katerina isn't a prime suspect since nothing links her to the gossip article, theft, or Zohar. That leaves Zohar Falgor. But we lack proof of his involvement."

Gideon picked up from his boss. "The Main House doesn't care about proof, though." On his cue, Gale brought up articles covering the family feud. Other reports showed the discord between Main and Minor Houses over the reignited debate about house designations. One headline mentioned the ailing Patriarch.

Kaliope frowned. A member of their family is on his deathbed, and they're squabbling over succession.

Classy bunch.

"The Main House blames the Minor House for orchestrating the theft, and the occult press is running with it."

"No surprise." Gale brought up images of Zohar Falgor as he spoke. "Zohar is notorious for his protests against the Main House."

The rail-thin man with beady black eyes stared at them with maligned disapproval, his haughty nose held high. By his looks alone, he was suspect. He oozed cattiness. Inola was right about the family drama. Conflicts over inheritances led to more deaths than was sensible in the Noccult world. It carried over into the Occult too.

Each Witcher House operated under a constitution that governed the main and minor branches' interactions. It wasn't uncommon for the two to lock horns as Minor Houses lacked the high standing and privileges enjoyed by the Main Houses. Still, Zohar wasn't living in poverty. The man wore an expensive tailored suit and carried a cane crafted from what Kaliope assumed was solid gold with gemstone adornments. If the beady-eyed man stole the gem to prevent the birth of another rival, they'd be hard-pressed to uncover evidence.

A muscle ticked in Ronin's jaw. Either Kaliope was overthinking it, or the others weren't keen on his unease. She opened her mouth to address Ronin, but he spoke first.

"Clock's ticking. We need to wrap this case before things escalate."

~~~

To read the entire first season, along with Seasons 2 and 3, join me on Ream. The link's in my bio on the home page. Hope to see you there.